About us

Welcome to U-NICA, the intersection of authenticity and pioneering innovation. Our journey began with banknote security and evolved to master the dynamic field of anti-counterfeiting solutions. Today, our forte lies in creating intuitive digital solutions, building a bridge from physical products into the digital realm as a protective shield against the relentless onslaught of counterfeiting. Our mission is steadfast: to enhance your brand value and ensure your products' integrity, both physically and digitally. At U-NICA, we're dedicated to nurturing trust in a world filled with genuine products. Your protection is our promise.

Our Way

2004

How we started

"The beginning is the most important part of the work” -Plato

Firmensatz

Thanks to our familiarity and special knowledge of high-security documents, especially banknotes and passports, as well as the extent of the counterfeiting crime worldwide, our company founders concluded that advanced and effective technologies from the high-security segment could also contribute to the protection of branded products against counterfeiting activities.
 
These considerations prompted Alfred Rutz to found the company U-NICA AG in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. The goal was to establish product protection features at the highest technical level.

2005

Where our extensive knowledge comes from

"To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe." -Marilyn Vos Savant

From 2005 to 2009, the first step involved market screening and analysis of more than 80 innovative technologies, valued for their brand value and product protection potential. Depending on their suitability and situation, a selection of unique technologies, patents, and knowledge were collected and transferred to the application development.
 
In addition, the company structure was adapted and the research and development were bundled into three technology clusters called PHYSICAL, LASER, and DIGITAL. The operating units were located in Geneva (Switzerland), Hamburg-Harburg (Germany), and Leuna (Germany), while an additional operating unit and the headquarters were based in Malans (Switzerland, Grisons).

2010

Expand and grow

"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together." -James Cash Penney

The industrialization of innovative key technologies in projects, together with leading companies and key customers, were successfully implemented due to the increased development and attainment of market maturity. Joint developments with leading companies in specific security segments from the laser, physical, and digital clusters have led to successful projects, such as in the government security sector, security documents, and injection-molded high-quality plastics.
 
Among the first projects, those aimed at digital product protection developed with vehemence and very soon reached the industrialization phase. A sales partner network and U-NICA's own sales team have been set up for the worldwide distribution of this technology portfolio. Fast forward to today, U-NICA now has sales representatives in the United States (U-NICA Americas Inc.) and Asia (U-NICA Singapore Pte Ltd) as well as partners around the world.

2015

Holistic approach and shift in focus

"If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.” -Alfred Nobel

With the increasing popularity of corporate digitalization, interest in our digital brand value and product protection solution grew. Due to the growing demands in this area, increased consolidation was necessary. This further development was rewarded with the CeBIT 2017 award for the best solution in the category "Business Intelligence." A re-consolidation was carried out in 2017, channeling the company towards the Digital Brand Value and Product Protection Solution Suite and the maintenance of the existing business with Security Paints, Beats, and intraGRAM®. 

Our ambition to develop and strengthen an efficient, affordable, minimally invasive, and easy-to-use brand protection, product security, and authentication solutions needed additional support, a more prosperous environment. This was achieved by relocating our headquarters to Landquart. This was intended to not just be a re-location or a mere evolutionary step, but a disruptive impact on the company’s culture in a constructive and fruitful way. Here we can focus on our successful core brand protection solutions, our scryptoTRACE® suite and plastoTRACE® suite, while remaining a lean and highly networked organization. In addition, this concentration allows us to communicate more effectively, efficiently, spontaneously, and easily across all our domains and units as well as with our partners and customers.

2021

The stage is set

“I only hope that we remind of one thing — that it just started with a vision.” -Alfred Rutz

Header DSL

In 2021, we launched our cutting-edge Digital Security Label™, which will enable companies to protect their brand without having to modify the product as it is an adhesive label that can be applied to any type of packaging and can be tailor-made to fit any shape or form. DSL contains a plethora of security features, some of which are visible, such as guilloches and a hologram stripe. Others are embedded into a QR-code, an image, a logo, or the pay-off. Once customers have downloaded our intuitive app, they can check the authenticity of the products they have received. There is no longer a need for special equipment, such as RFID readers, microscopes, or UV lamps to verify if a product is genuine.

surTRACE image

And there is another product that has entered the brand protection arena. It is a microstructure recognition technology, which we proudly call surTRACE®. Most of the raw materials or processed materials contain microstructures of a random nature on the surface, which are of natural origin or created by machine tooling. By recording these features, our surTRACE® technology will allow our customers to verify that a product was made in the factory of the correct manufacturer and where the material originally came from.

Both of these amazing new tools in the fight against counterfeiters are also part of the most comprehensive anti-counterfeiting and brand value platform, our scryptoTRACE® suite.

2022

Embracing Digital Transformation

The biggest part of our digital transformation is changing the way we think. -Simeon Preston

In 2022, we at U-NICA, underwent a strategic transformation, focusing solely on digital anti-counterfeit solutions. With a sharpened emphasis on computer vision technology, we fortified our anti-counterfeit capabilities, partnering with top-tier institutes. These collaborations enabled us to enhance our solutions, creating a cutting-edge approach in the fight against counterfeiting.
 
Recognizing the evolving regulatory landscape in the EU, we began adapting our products to serve as secured gateways into the digital realm, adhering to the upcoming EU Digital Product Passport. Simultaneously, we intensified our focus on smartphone-based authentication for our inspector solutions and consumer engagement solutions. This innovative approach not only bolstered our security offerings but also enhanced user engagement, marking 2022 as a year of significant growth and innovation for U-NICA.
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Mission

Mission

Our mission is to prevent counterfeiting by building a bridge to the digital realm using smartphone-based authentication and market monitoring solutions.

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Vision

Vision

We envision a world where consumers use only original products, eliminating the risk of counterfeits that do not meet safety or durability requirements and to prevent loss of revenue.

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Manifesto

Manifesto

It is our task to research technologies, methods and processes, to provide open solutions that allow all those affected to act as allies against a common enemy. We believe that the protection of individual brands is important, but that only a collective effort can ultimately prevail against the global counterfeiting market driven by organized crime.

Our Offices

Americas

U-NICA Americas Inc
48 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York City, NY 10005
United States of America

Phone:  +1 917 522 0336
info@u-nica.com

Europe / Middle East & Africa

U-NICA Solutions AG
Bahnhofstrasse 37
CH-7302 Landquart
Switzerland

Phone:  +41 41 919 9900
info@u-nica.com

Asia

U-NICA Singapore Pte Ltd
128 Tanjong Pagar Road
088535 Singapore
Singapore

Phone:  +65 3138 4114
info@u-nica.com

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The first step to fight back - talk to us!

You are turning to us - great. But don’t worry, even though if we’d love to tell you about us and our comprehensive solutions in Product and Brand Value Protection, we will never flood you with phone calls and emails. Instead, we invite you to talk to our Product and Brand Value Protection Business Development about your situation, challenges and goals. We only start further procedures beyond this if you believe that we could be a good fit for you – the decision is always yours to take.

CONTACT US

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